This week’s Trump administration Cupboard assembly featured every part out of a medical skilled’s nightmare. Confusion about what a placenta is by the person answerable for well being on this nation, extra false claims about Tylenol’s hyperlink to autism and new unfaithful claims about circumcision, Tylenol and autism danger.
Health and Human Providers Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made unfounded claims in regards to the “link” between “early circumcision” and Tylenol use in infants and autism.
Within the Cupboard assembly, Kennedy stated, “There’s two studies that show children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism,” referring to the surgical process in child boys wherein the foreskin of the penis is eliminated.
“It’s highly likely because they’re given Tylenol,” Kennedy continued, repeating the debunked declare that Tylenol use is linked to autism.
When requested for remark, the Division of Health and Human Providers pointed to Kennedy’s latest submit on X, which stated, “as usual, the mainstream media attacks me for something I didn’t say in order to distract from the truth of what I did say … An August 2025 Preprints.org review by Patel et al. directly validates my point that the observed autism correlation in circumcised boys is best explained by acetaminophen exposure, not circumcision itself.”
This isn’t the primary time Kennedy has advised Tylenol causes autism; only a few weeks in the past, he stated Tylenol use in being pregnant is linked to larger charges of autism (this isn’t true) and advised pregnant folks to not take it.
“His continued obsession with autism is peculiar,” Dr. Mona Amin, a board-certified pediatrician in Florida and face behind the medical social media account @pedsdoctalk, advised HuffPost through e-mail.
“Instead of chasing procedures and headlines, he should focus on advancing real research like genome and exome testing to better understand genetic and neurodevelopmental factors that play a much bigger role,” Amin stated.
Analysis reveals that the majority autism instances are genetic, not attributable to issues like Tylenol or circumcision.
Kennedy’s feedback about circumcision and autism danger solely create extra confusion for brand spanking new dad and mom whereas additionally peddling ableist concepts. It’s flat-out harmful and flat-out flawed.
HuffPost spoke to pediatricians about Kennedy’s harmful circumcision and Tylenol claims. Right here’s what they stated.
“There is no solid data” behind his claims.
“I’m highly concerned, like with most of his statements,” stated Amin.
“We can’t make bombastic claims when they’re not supported by credible evidence. There’s no solid data behind what he’s saying,” Amin added.
Dr. Lauren Hughes, a board-certified pediatrician, proprietor of Bloom Pediatrics in Kansas and a medical communicator on social media, advised HuffPost through e-mail that she was first stunned that Kennedy had made this assertion after so lately blaming Tylenol throughout being pregnant as a reason for autism.
“My second thought was ‘He’s lying again,’ because there is no credible study saying there is double the risk of autism,” stated Hughes.
Kennedy’s submit on X cites 2025 analysis that’s “pre-print, not peer-reviewed,” stated Amin. “The authors are real researchers, but the findings haven’t gone through independent scientific review yet,” Amin added.
“Most evidence cited is observational or animal-based, which can’t establish cause and effect,” Amin stated.
That is necessary as a result of research have to account for issues like setting and household genetics, added Amin. This analysis doesn’t try this.
In regard to a Danish research from 2015 that Kennedy refers to in a while in his social media submit, “this study never mentioned the use of Tylenol … at all. Instead, they looked at pain related to circumcision in infancy causing autism,” Hughes stated.
“That study showed a weak association in certain subgroups, but it was based on tiny numbers and didn’t even track Tylenol use,” Amin defined. “Experts have since said the findings were more about statistical noise than cause and effect.”
The 2015 research additionally didn’t management for “critical confounders” like genetics, household historical past or prenatal historical past, Hughes stated. “These are all known risk factors for developing autism and should be adjusted for,” Hughes added.
“Before accepting this as truth,” Amin stated of Kennedy’s claims, “we need well-designed, peer-reviewed studies that control for confounding factors, use accurate exposure data and replicate findings across diverse populations. Until then, [the 2025] paper should be seen as hypothesis-generating, not practice-changing.”
“These kinds of claims grab attention but not truth. And when public figures keep reaching for random connections, it spreads fear, not facts,” Amin added.
Infants aren’t even all the time given Tylenol throughout or after circumcision.
In line with Amin, Kennedy’s declare that infants are given Tylenol for ache aid throughout circumcision “just doesn’t line up with reality.”
“In most hospitals, newborns are soothed with oral sucrose [sugar water] or other comfort measures during the procedure, not Tylenol,” Amin added.
As an example, based on their web sites, each Texas Kids’s Hospital and the College of Kansas Health System give infants a neighborhood anesthetic and a pacifier dipped in sugar water.
Whereas some hospitals could give or prescribe infants Tylenol post-procedure, it isn’t an across-the-board rule.
“This is very site-dependent — some [babies] get acetaminophen, some get sugar water or breast milk or directly breastfeed,” Dr. Elizabeth Meade, a pediatrician in Seattle and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, advised HuffPost through e-mail.
“And, if parents give Tylenol afterward, it’s usually a single dose. We can’t blame a one-time or two-time medication for a lifelong neurodevelopmental difference like autism,” Amin stated.
Bloomberg through Getty Photos
Circumcision is a typically protected process that’s not linked to autism.
Whereas Kennedy has since confused that he’s linking circumcision and Tylenol use to autism, and never circumcision alone, these sorts of statements solely confuse caregivers who wish to make the very best resolution for his or her infants.
“Circumcision is a safe, commonly performed procedure, but as with any medical procedure, there are risks associated,” stated Hughes.
Dangers embody bleeding, an infection, and an excessive amount of or too little pores and skin elimination, based on Amin.
Kennedy particularly referred to “early circumcision,” which isn’t a phrase Hughes makes use of — “I do not use the term ‘early circumcision’ and instead only call it circumcision.”
A number of sources, together with the Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins Medication and Texas Kids’s Hospital, say circumcision is mostly accomplished throughout the first days or even weeks of a child’s life. “Early circumcision” is a weird option to categorize one thing that’s generally really useful early in a child’s life.
“It’s an elective procedure, not a medical requirement. With proper hygiene, being uncircumcised is completely healthy, too,” Amin added.
Some cultures and teams of individuals discover circumcision to be controversial, “and that’s understandable,” stated Amin.
“Parents should be able to make this decision based on their values and medical guidance without judgment. It’s a personal choice, not a moral or medical obligation,” she famous.
It’s a mum or dad’s alternative whether or not or to not have their child circumcised, however a worry of autism shouldn’t be a motive to not, stated Hughes.
As a result of, once more, there isn’t any proof that circumcision and Tylenol use are linked to a better likelihood of growing autism.
There isn’t a proof that Tylenol causes autism.
This isn’t the primary time Kennedy has linked Tylenol use to autism, however there isn’t any strong proof of a connection, specialists advised HuffPost once more and once more.
“An extremely well done study was published in April of 2024 reviewing acetaminophen use in pregnancy,” stated Hughes. (Acetaminophen is the energetic ingredient in Tylenol.)
Researchers evaluated roughly 2.5 million youngsters and “after adjusting for sibling diagnosis, they found there was no associated link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders,” Hughes added.
“The use of acetaminophen in childhood has not been robustly studied, but no data exists showing a causal link,” she stated.
“As a parent, I understand how confusing all this can feel. And as a clinician who walks families through these decisions every day, it’s frustrating to see misinformation replace genuine curiosity.”
– Dr. Mona Amin, board-certified pediatrician in Florida
The American Academy of Pediatrics says acetaminophen is protected for kids when used as directed and mentioned with a baby’s pediatrician.
“Acetaminophen remains the safest option for pain and fever during pregnancy and infancy when used as directed,” Amin added.
Tylenol is often used to assist management fevers in youngsters and pregnant girls, and having an untreated fever is harmful.
“Here’s what parents need to understand: The developing brain is affected far more by untreated high fevers or infections than by a single, properly dosed pain reliever,” Amin stated.
“The benefit of using Tylenol when truly needed outweighs any unproven theoretical risk,” famous Amin.
Autism is complicated, however analysis is ongoing.
“Autism is complex. It’s not caused by one medication, one vaccine, or one parenting decision,” stated Amin.
For many years, scientists have been researching the reason for autism, Hughes added.
“It is very, very important to state that no one wants to find the causes for autism more than pediatric health care providers,” Meade famous. “I say ‘causes’ very intentionally, because we know this is not a one-cause diagnosis, it is very multifactorial and complex.”
“We will keep looking, and keep investigating, including looking into acetaminophen use — but the reality is that many large and well-done studies have shown absolutely no causal link at this point,” Meade stated.
“Research shows genetics play the biggest role — sometimes inherited from parents, sometimes through spontaneous gene changes that affect how the brain forms and communicates,” Amin stated.
“So, please, if you have a child with autism, do not think you did anything wrong. And know that the scientific community has not, nor will ever, forget about you,” Hughes stated.
Research trying into environmental danger components are ongoing, “but ‘environmental’ doesn’t mean things like Tylenol or vaccines. It refers to broad prenatal or early life influences like severe maternal infection during pregnancy, significant prematurity, or exposure to high levels of air pollution, lead, or pesticides,” Amin stated.
However, these environmental components don’t flat-out trigger autism, and as a substitute improve autism danger together with genetic predisposition, Amin stated.
“As a parent, I understand how confusing all this can feel. And as a clinician who walks families through these decisions every day, it’s frustrating to see misinformation replace genuine curiosity,” Amin stated.
“We should be investing our energy into research, education and support for autistic individuals, not fighting baseless claims,” she added.
